Former India opener Aakash Chopra (Twitter/@cricketaakash)
Aakash Chopra said that India should not worry too much about a player who can bat at number 8.
Former opener Aakash Chopra suggested major changes in India’s playing XI for the second ODI in Visakhapatnam. Captain Rohit Sharma will return to the playing XI for the second ODI after missing the series opener due to family commitments. He will be expected to replace Ishan Kishan in the XI as the opening pair of Shubman Gill and Rohit have done exceptionally well for India this year.
Chopra, however, feels that India should make one more change in the XI as he wants the hosts to go with five specialist bowlers and chose Umran Malik over Shardul Thakur.
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The cricketer-turned-commentator Kohli said India should not worry too much about a player who can bat at No.8.
“Is there room for any other change other than Rohit Sharma in place of Ishan Kishan? My personal opinion – you can call it right or wrong – I always want you to bowl full five bowlers where you shouldn’t worry about batting at No.8,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“Play Umran Malik instead of Shardul Thakur. I feel the same way but Indian team definitely want a batsman at No.8 and I can understand their thinking that sometimes top order players get out and you may need to bat later.
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India took an important 1-0 lead in the first match of the series with a 5-wicket win over Australia. Shardul didn’t get much to bowl in Mumbai as stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya used him for just two overs.
Chopra insisted that India will have to decide whether they want an additional batting option or a pure bowler who can restrict the opposition to low scores.
He said, ‘Nowadays even 350-375 runs are scored. So you need to bat more at times because all the bowlers get hit. That’s one way of looking at it. Another way is that a good bowler gets away with 55-60 runs in 10 overs when others are scoring 80s. So it is up to you which direction you want to go. The Indian team thinks that it wants to keep Shardul at number 8. I am fine because God always contributes. The captain didn’t make him bowl much in the last match, so he couldn’t do much. But if you make him bowl, he will take wickets as well.”
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